1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an oral implant to be used to secure artificial teeth, which are used in place of lost natural teeth, in the oral cavity, and more particularly to an oral implant that imposes minimal physical stress on the patient during implantation, reduces the incidence of inflammation following implantation, and has other features.
2. Description of the Related Art
Oral implants are designed to secure artificial teeth, which are used in place of lost natural teeth, in the oral cavity. These oral implants are partially embedded and secured in the alveolar bone, and the artificial teeth are attached to the portions of the oral implants that are left to protrude into the oral cavity from the gums for this purpose.
Plate types, screw types, and perforated hollow cylinder types are widely used as oral implants. These are secured by being inserted partway in the alveolar bone. A drawback is that considerable physical stress is imposed on the patient during insertion of such oral implants, and postoperative inflammation or pain often accompanies the procedure because of unnecessary stress being induced in the alveolar bone. Gaps form between the oral implant and the bone, and the implant becomes loose as a result of mastication-induced cyclic stress, prolonged use, or the like, and bacteria penetrate into the gaps, causing inflammation. A resulting disadvantage is; that the oral implants must be replaced, and the alveolar bone itself is fractured.